 Chinese and Greek Civilizations
“Healthy mind in a healthy body
 1800s
-First sport psychology research
-Effects of audience on cyclist performance
 Past Three Decades
-Recognition and growth of sport psychology discipline

 Sport psychology has only recently developed and grown due to:
1. Expansion of scientific knowledge and emergence of different branches
2. Increased media attention

 In this section you will be introduced to the following sport psychology issues:
-Influence of personality on performance
- Effect of sport on personality
- Relationship between anxiety and performance
- Effect of motivation on sport performance
- Effects of the audience on athletic accomplishments

PERSONALITY AND THE
ATHELETE

Personality:
Pattern of characteristic thoughts, feelings and behaviours that distinguish one person from another and persist over time and situations.

 The study of personality in sport psychology can help us answer the following questions:
*Do athletes possess different personality characteristics than non-athletes?
*Do winners possess different personality profiles than losers?
*Does personality determine sport preference, or does a particular sport mould our personality accordingly?
*Can personality be changed, or does it remain relatively fixed throughout involvement in sport?

Personalities of Athletes vs. Non- Athletes

Personalities of Athletes vs. Non- Athletes
 Compared to non-athletes, athletes are more:
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Stable
Extroverted
Competitive
Dominant
Self-confident
Achievement oriented
Psychologically well adjusted
Conservative with respect to political views
Authoritarian
Persistant
Display higher levels of self esteem

Personalities of Athletes vs. Non- Athletes
Although differences exist, clear pattern of differences has yet to emerge

Personality Profiles of Athletes Differing in Skill Level

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Personality traits: psychological characteristics of the athlete which remain relatively stable over time
Personality states: “right now kinds of feelings” which are situation-specific
State-trait controversy: disagreement of the relative merits of studying states versus traits
Interactional theory: the best state-trait approach, which considers personality traits and states, as well

 It is NOT yet possible to distinguish between successful and unsuccessful athletes using personality traits
 However, it is possible to distinguish between the elite athletes and the lesser skilled in terms of mood states

Mood States of Elite vs. Non-Elite
Athletes
 Mood states of elite athletes vs lesser skilled athletes are below in:
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Tension
Depression
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Fatigue
Anger
Confusion
AND ARE MARKEDLY HIGHER IN
VIGOR

 This mood state profile resembles an iceberg and is therefore often referred to as the iceberg profile

Developmental Effects of Sport on
Personality

Are personality differences due to the athletic experience?
OR
Do certain personality traits cause the individual to go out for sports
( gravitational hypothesis)?
*Evidence tends to support the gravitational hypothesis
*HOWEVER, participation in sports can also enhance personality development

Personality and the Athlete:
Conclusions
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Athletes tend to be more extroverted, independent and self-confident than nonathletes: they also tend to be less anxious
Elite athletes can be distinguished from lesser skilled athlete by means of the iceberg profile: it is not possible, however, to distinguish between winners and losers
Individuals with certain personality traits tend to gravitate toward sports;sport also has the potential to enhance certain personality traits

ANXIETY AND THE ATHLETIC
PERFORMANCE

 Physiological state of readiness and psychological activation
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Involves the autonomic nervous system
Body’s way of preparing you for “fight or flight”

 Non-specific response of the body to any demand made upon it
 Unemotional bodily response to some type of stressor
 Can be either good or bad, depending upon the individual’s personal interpretation
 Eustress ie winning the lottery
 Distress ie receiving a failing grade on a midterm test

 Tension and worry that results from distress
 A negatively charged emotional state characterized by discomfort and nervousness
 Two forms of anxiety:
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Trait anxiety: a personality characteristic
State anxiety: a “right now” kind of anxiety

Anxiety Cont’d
 Two components of state anxiety:
1. Cognitive state anxiety (psychological component)
 Caused by fear of failure
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Result of worrying
“I am afraid I am going to lose”
2.
Somatic state anxiety (physical component)
*perception of physiological responses
*’I feel nervous before a major contest”

Anxiety and Athletic Performance
Relationship

 Temporal changes in cognitive and somatic state anxiety as competition approaches

The Effect of Pre-competitive Anxiety on
Performance
 Relationship between somatic anxiety and performance takes the for of an inverted-U
 See graph in Text
 Relationship between cognitive anxiety and athletic performance has been shown to be linear and negative.

 Increases in somatic anxiety are associated with improved athletic performance up to a certain optimal level; therefore, athletes should attempt to increase their somatic anxiety up to an optimal level by “psyching – up” or “getting pumped up”
 The level the of cognitive state anxiety, the better the athlete will perform; therefore, athletes must learn to deal with the symptoms of cognitive anxiety.

What are some symptoms of Cognitive
State Anxiety?
 Use your text.
 Provide several examples

Relaxation Interventions to lower CS
Anxiety
 Progressive Muscular Relaxation (PMR)
 Takes time initially, but with practice can be completed in minutes
 High Value the night before.
 Dave Heinbuch

 Positive Imagery.
 Needs practice

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Positive Self Talk
Reassuring one’s self
 Give some examples.